COS Movie SPOILER Re: Question about British/American difference - Pip!Squeak and David

[Kimberly Davison]

>>>>>----- Original Message -----
From: "bluesqueak" <pipdowns at etchells0.demon.co.uk>
It depends on the school whether a child would be told to use 'sir' and
'miss' to refer to teachers. Hogwarts appears to approve of some formality -
Harry is corrected by Dumbledore when he doesn't call Snape 'Professor
Snape'. But the students don't seem to generally use 'sir' and 'miss' when
talking to teachers. Unless it's common school practice, 'sir' would be very
rarely used indeed by a child.
Hope this helps.
Pip!Squeak>>>>>>

Me (Kimberly)...
Thanks Pip.  So it would be proper for Harry to say "Yes, Professor
Dumbledore", rather than "Yes, Sir"?  Wow, this is just really interesting!
LOL  I was really confused, that is something I never would have known.  I
have another question, just past my reply to David...


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>>>>>----- Original Message -----
From: "David" <dfrankiswork at netscape.net>
Is this to do with Harry calling Vernon 'Sir' in the movie?  That is indeed
unusual (as well as uncanonical).  While you could argue that it would be in
character for the Dursleys to make Harry call them 'Sir' and (presumably)
'ma'am', there's no particular reason to make them do so in the movie as
it's not in the book.  It didn't strike me as ironic, either.
Children haven't called their fathers or uncles 'Sir' for over fifty years
at least, I would guess.  Even then I think it was an upper class sort of
thing to do.
 David>>>>>>


Me (Kimberly)...
Yes, that is what I had read people referring to, that scene...  Hmm, that
is interesting, something I never would have known.  Here, everyone (well,
most everyone) says "Yes, Sir", or "Yes, Ma'am" to their elders, whether
it's parents, teachers, or in the case of a salesperson speaking to a
customer.  It has never been considered an upper class type thing here...
Well, not in my neck of the woods, that is.  :-)
Just out of curiousity, when, say, a mom asks a child a question, do they
just answer "Yes", or "Yes, Mother", or is there any particular term that is
used?
Kimberly